Asbestos related disease, mesothelioma
The widow of a bricklayer who sadly died from an asbestos related disease has received £135,000 in compensation.
The grandfather of five died in May 2008 from mesothelioma, a cancer of the lining of the lungs .
Mesothelioma is caused by exposure to asbestos. There is no cure for the disease which can develop decades after exposure to asbestos.
Exposed to asbestos while working
The man from Liverpool was exposed to asbestos while working for Norwest Holst, now owned by Vinci PLC, as a bricklayer from 1975 to 1983.
He worked building new houses. His job included cutting asbestos piping.
He was diagnosed with mesothelioma in September 2007 and contacted asbestos claims specialists Thompsons Solicitors for advice about compensation.
He told his wife that it was important to make sure she was financially secure.
She said: "My husband became extremely ill very quickly but he was the sort of man who was determined to see his claim through. The most important thing to him was making sure I was looked after."
Former employers eventually admitted liability
Norwest Holst eventually admitted liability just five days before he died.
Diana Fos from Thompsons Solicitors said: “This client wanted compensation not for himself but so that his wife and family had financial security. By bringing the claim he held his employers to account by getting them to admit liability for his illness during his lifetime. Despite that the insurers dragged their heels and only agreed a settlement just weeks before the case was due in court.”
John Flanagan from Merseyside Asbestos Victims Support Group who assisted the family said: “All this man wanted before he died was to know his family would be provided for. Time is of the essence in these cases and the victims and their families need to have specialist legal advice.”
Asbestos disease diagnosis? Talk to us for advice and support on how to secure compensation.
If you or a loved one have been diagnosed with an asbestos-related disease, we can support you with advice on how to make a claim.
The process will be explained in plain English and with no obligation – our priority is to provide you with the best, expert advice on whether you have a valid case for compensation, and to signpost you to further sources of support.
There are strict time limits applied to making a claim – usually three years from the date of diagnosis. It doesn’t matter if the exposure to asbestos took place – as it often does – decades ago, the three year time limit applies to the date of knowledge of diagnosis or date of death.
For further information, visit our How to Make A Compensation Claim page.